SUBIC BAY HISTORY

Earliest settlers

The Aetas were Subic Bay’s earliest settlers. They were believed to have arrived from the northern part of the Philippines and were the first inhabitants of the Subic Bay area long before the first of the Spanish colonizers arrived.

Largely nomadic, the Aetas depend on hunting, besides fishing on the swamps and mangroves that abound in the area, for their main livelihood.

An Aeta elder works on bamboo to prepare fire and cook food.

Largely nomadic, the Aetas depend on hunting, besides fishing in swamps and mangroves that abound in the area, for their main livelihood.

Aetas were also considered among the most skillful when it comes to jungle survival and this was recognized by the U.S. military, which recruited them to train their servicemen in jungle survival tactics during the course of their stay in Subic.